Tag: Trent Edwards

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2. You may want to get rid of that Kellen Clemens jersey you prematurely bought after his starts against the Redskins and Steelers in 2007 because after Mark Brunell joins the team tomorrow morning, he won’t around much longer.

Scouting The AFC East: Buffalo Bills

Our final look at the teams who share the division with the Jets and how they match up with them heading into 2010:

Offense – You know there is a problem with your offense when Trent Edwards, Ryan Fitzpatrick, and Brian Brohm are battling for the starting quarterback job. You know there is a bigger problem when you have a patch work offensive line that was awful in 2009 and didn’t receive any substantial improvements this off-season. Beyond that, if Buffalo’s quarterback actually does get a pass off before being flattened, they will be throwing to Lee Evans because there may not be another NFL quality receiver on their roster right now.

On the bright side, the Bills have one of the best collection of running backs in the NFL. Fred Jackson is coming off a very good year and Marshawn Lynch has been a 1,000 yard back in the past. Buffalo also took the electric CJ Spiller in the first round of the draft, although it remains to be seen if he has any space to actually run. Unless Mark Sanchez confuses the Jets and Bills jersey colors again as he did in their first 2009 meeting, I am not sure how Buffalo can move the ball against the Jets.

Defense – The Bills actually have a good collection of talent on the defensive side of the football, especially in the secondary. Jairus Byrd should have been the rookie of the year in 2009. Terrence McGee, Leodis McKlevin, and Drayton Florence have the potential to be one of the better trio of corners in the NFL. Paul Posluszny had a very good season in 2009 and should be a long term piece for the Bills to build around. It doesn’t sound like Aaron Schobel is going to play next season, which is a relief for Jets fans because he has tormented them in in the past. Overall, the Bills usually play over their heads in divisional games which means their defense will be tough to work against, especially considering the talent they have in place.

Special Teams – Buffalo has a reputation for having one of the best special team units year in and year out. Rian Lindell and Brian Moorman are a quality kicker and punter, respectively. Fred Jackson, Terrence McGee, Roscoe Parrish, and Leodis McKlevin all have the ability to be dangerous return men.

Overall – The Bills are widely expected to be the basement dwellers in the AFC East and for good reason. However, they always give the Jets a hard time. There is no easy wins against the Bills and I can’t say I’d be shocked if the Jets let one slip away in one of their two match-ups.

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2. Just a reminder that the Jets rookies report to training camp on July 29th in Cortland, New York. The veterans report on August 1st. The first episode of Hard Knocks is August 11th. The first pre-season game is August 16th against the Giants.

Who Is The Team To Beat In The AFC?

As training camp rapidly approaches let’s look at the four divisions in the AFC and what teams are most likely to come out of them and compete for a playoff spot and a Super Bowl.

AFC East

Favorite – I know it is shocking that the writer for Turn On The Jets is going to say the Jets are the favorite to win the AFC East, yet at the end of last season they were the best team in the division and they had the best overall off-season. Nobody is saying they are going to run away with this thing. It is going to be a dog fight with both the Dolphins and Patriots (likely more with the Dolphins). However, the Jets have the most overall talent on their roster and were less than a half away from a Super Bowl appearance last season. The addition of Antonio Cromartie, Brodney Pool, Jason Taylor, Kyle Wilson, LaDainian Tomlinson, and Santonio Holmes is only going to help that cause, along with the continued growth of Mark Sanchez and Shonn Greene. Their defense will also improve from the familiarity the eight returning starters will now have with Rex Ryan’s system.

Primary Competitor – I am going with the Dolphins over the Patriots in this spot. Brandon Marshall will help give them some much needed balance on offense and a legit big play threat. Karlos Dansby and Jared Odrick were solid additions to their defense. However, I’m still not sold on their defense as an overall unit yet and I don’t know if Ronnie Brown can stay healthy or if Ricky Williams has another year like last season left in him. They also lack a proven option opposite Marshall at receiver, so when he loses himself on Revis Island, who will Miami turn to?

In The Mix – I am not counting out Tom Brady and Bill Belichick but the Patriots are looking like a 8-8 or 9-7 team to me right now. What did they do this off-season to make sure they don’t catch a swift beatdown from teams like the Ravens in 2010? Maybe I am putting too much stock in one game but I am not exactly worried about the additions of Torry Holt or Alge Crumpler. They have some young players with potential on offense who could step up but their defense isn’t what it used to be and is lacking on overall talent. Also, their offensive line isn’t the brick wall it used to be and they still don’t have anybody who is anything near being called a lead running back.

Circling The Wagons…In Basement – Trent Edwards. Brian Brohm. Ryan Fitzpatrick. The 2010 Buffalo Bills, everybody. I am sorry but who are their receivers beside Lee Evans and who is going to block for their UFL collection of quarterbacks and actually high quality trio of running backs?

AFC North

Favorite – The Baltimore Ravens have the potential to be scary good this season, if Joe Flacco can play more consistently and take advantage of the additions of Anquan Boldin and Donte Stallworth. Ray Rice is a superstar in the making and you know their defense will be good. So yes, week 1 is going to be a hell of a test for the Jets and a potential preview of the AFC Championship Game.

Primary Competitor – Don’t sleep on the Cincinnati Bengals this year. Many people are picking them as the team least likely to return to the playoffs but they can run the ball, play defense, and had a good off-season. Antonio Bryant is a major upgrade over Laveranues Coles at receiver opposite Chad Ochocinco Johnson and the selection of Jermaine Gresham in the draft gives them a much needed pass catching tight end. They also swept the Ravens last year.

In The Mix – Let’s see what kind of job Byron Leftwich does holding the fort down until Ben Rothlisberger returns and how quickly Rothlisberger can get acclimated after he returns. Pittsburgh can survive the subtraction of Santonio Holmes because Mike Wallace is going to be a very good player but is their defense going to improve from last season, especially at the end of games?

Fun Times In Cleveland Again – Those poor Cleveland fans. I can’t imagine having to root for the Indians, Browns, and Cavs for the next few years.

AFC South

Favorite – The Colts are the favorite for the division and the conference until somebody knocks them off. Peyton Manning might complete 80 percent of his passes this year with Antony Gonzalez returning to support Reggie Wayne, Pierre Garcon, Austin Collie, and Dallas Clark. You can ask the same questions we always ask about their defense and running game but chances are they are going to be right there competing for a first round bye again.

Primary Competitor – I hate drinking the Texans kool-aid because everybody hypes them up every season and they never seriously challenge for a division title or make the playoffs. This roster has plenty of talent and maybe if their kicker can make a meaningful attempt this year, they can finally break through and play football in January.

In The Mix – Chris Johnson is the most electric playmaker in the NFL and Vince Young is always capable of making his share of big plays. Beyond that, Jeff Fisher is a great coach which means the Titans will be right in the mix for a playoff spot in 2010. I don’t know if they can make the jump to compete with the Colts for a AFC South title though.

Actually Not That Bad – The Jaguars somewhat exceeded expectations last year and added a few quality pieces to their defense. They are far from the doormat the Bills, Browns, and Chiefs and should be competitive in the division. They will likely finish last but could still win 7 or 8 games.

AFC West

Favorite – The Chargers should take advantage of playing in a weak division and roll to another division title. Hopefully, they bring their run defense into the New Meadowlands for a playoff battle against the Jets.

Primary Competitor – They don’t really fit the category as a competitor but I think the Oakland Raiders will end up in second place in this muddled division. Jason Campbell will bring much needed stability to the quarterback position and Michael Bush has the potential to be a quality lead back. Their defense has talent at all three levels with Richard Seymour, Rolando McClain, and Nnamdi Asomugha. I wouldn’t be shocked to see the NFL’s punchline win 8 games this year.

In The Mix – I am not really sold on any moves the Denver Broncos made this off-season and don’t see how they improved from the 8-8 team they were last season.

Poor Thomas Jones – I still wish Thomas Jones was on board with the green and white this season instead of playing for the Chiefs, who likely struggle to win 5 games this season.

As of today, if I had to list the order of probability of AFC teams making the playoffs (not a power ranking, just the likelihood of team making playoffs):

1. Follow Turn On The Jets on Facebook and Twitter (TurnOnTheJets)…I have been hovering near 300 fans on Facebook for awhile without getting over it, so let’s go now. I know you want that news feed filled with Jets links and witty commentary on your favorite team.

2. A recent SportsNation poll on ESPN.com that asked Jets fans to select what games they thought their team would win this regular season resulted in fans projecting a 15-1 season for the team. I like the optimism because I was getting tired of the post draft negativity, but 15-1 may be…just may be…a stretch. Right now I would project the Jets as a 11-5 or 12-4 team, which scares me because I have never projected them to be that good. It is a little weird to have such high expectations.

3. Thoughts on Lost Final Season, Episode 14 “The Candidate” – Wow…that is what I am talking about. When Lost is on it’s game like that, there isn’t a better show on TV…not even close. I am glad we can end any debate about Locke being the bad guy now. He clearly never had any intention to get off the island but his plan was rather based around getting the candidates to all kill each other. I can’t blame Sawyer for not trusting Jack after he got Juliet killed last season but c’mon now you have to listen to the chosen one (which Sayid confirmed Jack was before sacrificing himself). I will miss Sayid, who was undoubtedly my favorite Iraqi torturer. The Jin/Sun death was obviously sad but we can get along fine without them considering how their characters have been used the past 2 seasons. It was kind of funny how nobody mentioned Frank dying…how about some love for the pilot, who went out with the funny line before getting smashed with a door and drowning. The sideways stuff is getting better, especially with Jack and Locke switching roles. Next week should be crazy good as well, with the backstory of Jacob and the MIB.

4. Do you think Nick Mangold noticed the contract Jahari Evans just got from the Saints? Do you think David Harris noticed the contract Patrick WIllis just got from the 49ers? The Jets better be ready to offer up the money to keep the cornerstones of their offense and defense…okay maybe Revis is the cornerstone on defense but he is about to be a free agent too.

Interesting AFC East Thoughts And Questions

#2 Quarterback in the Division? – Tim Graham of ESPN.com addressed this question in his AFC East blog and properly selected Mark Sanchez as the second best quarterback in the division over Chad Henne. Here is a key part of his argument:

“While Sanchez got better as games became more meaningful down the stretch, Henne struggled. Heading into Week 15, the Dolphins had a wonderful shot at securing a wild-card berth. They finished with three straight losses. Henne threw three touchdowns and five interceptions.”

I couldn’t agree more. I am always amazed how much people talk up Henne as this player who is going to jump into greatness next year, while they are quick to question Sanchez as the Jets biggest potential problem in 2010. Yes, Sanchez struggled heavily at times last year but it was the guy’s rookie year and he was thrown right into the fire. In the end, he came out of it to lead the Jets from 4-6 to the AFC Championship Game. Henne had a year to learn behind Chad Pennington and turned in a very average season last year. Stop talking about Henne like he lit the league on fire last season. He threw 12 touchdowns to 14 interceptions and had a QB rating of 75.2. Beyond that, he had his team at 7-6 and lost out to three teams who missed the playoffs to finish 7-9.

Sanchez’s performance against the Bengals in the wild-card round on the road, in the fourth quarter against the Chargers in the divisional round on the road, and in the AFC Championship Game on the road are all more impressive than anything Henne has done in his career.

Well, at least we can’t debate Tom Brady is the best quarterback in the division and Trent Edwards, Ryan Fitzpatrick, or Brian Brohm are the worst.

Just How Bad Is Buffalo – Unfortunately for those upstate New York football fans, it is hard to see Buffalo winning more than 5 games this season. No quarterback. No offensive line. A questionable defense. A questionable hire at head coach and GM. Three other quality teams in the division. This is the recipe for a rough season. Yet, I am still terrified of the Jets traveling up there in week 4.

Where Are Your Running Backs – The AFC East is stacked with quality running backs. Even the previously mentioned Bills have two 1,000 yard rushers and the 9th overall pick in the draft, with Marshawn Lynch, Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller. The Dolphins have Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams. The Jets have rising star (I hope not to jinx him) Shonn Greene, LaDainian Tomlinson in the proper backup role, and Joe “Tums” McKnight. But what about the Patriots? Laurence Maroney isn’t a #1 back. Fred Taylor is 650 years old and can’t stay healthy. Sammy Morris is 575 years old and can’t stay healthy. This normally wouldn’t be a problem in New England’s spread offense, but with an injured Wes Welker, their passing offense just isn’t that scary anymore. I could only say that because I know Darrelle Revis can take Randy Moss out of the game 1 on 1, and I like…make that love, matching up Antonio Cromartie and Kyle Wilson on Julian Edeleman, Sam Aiken, or the old version of Torry Holt.

For No Particular Reason, Receiver Rankings

Brandon Marshall

Randy Moss

Santonio Holmes

Braylon Edwards

Jerricho Cotchery

Lee Evans

This is obviously very, very debatable. I really hate putting Braylon in front of Cotchery but his physical talent is too hard to ignore…the guy had 17 touchdowns only a few season ago. What about Edwards and Cotchery in front of Lee Evans? The guy only had 44 receptions for 612 yards last year. I know his quarterbacks were crappy but Cotchery’s quarterbacks were crappy in 2007 and he had 1130 yards. Then again Evans had 1000 yards in 2008 with crappy quarterbacking and Cotchery didn’t with Favre back there…but then again Favre stunk the second half of the season. Evans is more physically gifted and more of a big play threat but Cotchery is more consistent…I don’t know, they are interchangeable. I feel good about 1-4, what is interesting is how sharp the drop off is after these 6. Look at this collection of players:

Torry Holt

Julian Edeleman

Sam Aiken

Brad Smith

David Clowney

Steve Johnson – That is Buffalo’s listed other started right now by the way.

Roscoe Parrish

James Hardy

Brian Hartline

Devone Bess

Greg Camarillo

How do you rate those guys? Holt has the best pedigree obviously, but how much does he have left in the tank? Brad Smith isn’t really a true receiver. Edeleman and Hartline showed flashes last year. Bess and Camarillo are steady guys, who are decent fits as #3 options. Everybody else is a journeyman.

1. Jerricho Cotchery, Damien Woody, Brad Smith, and Shaun Ellis all sat out practice again today. Ellis and Woody are expected to start, Smith is questionable and I wouldn’t bet on Cotcherysuiting up this weekend. If both Smith and Cotchery are down, the Jets will only be carrying three receivers on Sunday: Braylon Edwards, David Clowney, and Wallace Wright. Danny Woodhead has been taking reps at receiver on the practice squad but I wouldn’t count on him playing receiver for the Jets anytime soon.

2. Obviously if the Jets are limited at receiver, there should be a greater opportunity for Dustin Keller to get involved in the passing game. Mark Sanchez admitted that he apologized to Keller after the Monday night game for not looking to him more. I am not crazy about that, Sanchez needs to go where the coverage dictates and shouldn’t be forcing himself to get the ball to anybody. Brian Schottenheimer needs to design some screens and quick passes to get Keller more involved, and allow him to run space.

3. ALCS and NLCS Predictions: Phillies in 6 over the Dodgers. Yanks in 6 over the Angels.

4. Don’t forget that new episode of TOJ TV is coming tomorrow.

5. From the mouth of Bart Scott…“(Monday night) was the one time we had this year to show the world what type of team we are, and now they believe we’re something else…. I can’t wait to hit somebody. I can’t wait to step out there and see somebody in another jersey, so I can take all this pain and all this embarrassment I’m feeling and inflict it on someone else.” Sounds good…but now actually make it happen.

Jets vs. Bills: Game Breakdown

Jets Offensive Game Plan: Buffalo isn’t a bad team defensively, but neither were the Dolphins and the Jets found a way to put 27 points up. The bad weather expected to come Friday and Saturday should be gone by Sunday at 4 PM, but it will be still be colder than Mark Sanchez is accustomed to. Regardless, the Jets have enough weapons even with an injured Jerricho Cotchery to run a balanced attack each week. Mark Sanchez is now heading into his 6th start and by all indications the training wheels are off on this offense. Expect the Bills to heavily concentrate their coverage on Braylon Edwards, who should still be targeted frequently when Sanchez needs a bail out because of his size. Also, Edwards gained Sanchez’s trust last week by going up in coverage and coming down with a few balls, which means he won’t hesitate to look down the field for him again in similar circumstances.

With all the attention on Edwards, David Clowney and Dustin Keller should be freed up in single coverage. I am sure Brian Schottenheimer is feeling a push to get Keller the ball and I wouldn’t be surprised to see a quick slant or screen thrown to him early in the game to get him involved. If Clowney is singled up consistently, it is foolish not to take a couple shots down the field to him. In the running game, the Jets did a good job getting Leon 10 carries last week but let’s see him get a few more touches on receptions out of the backfield. I got a feeling instead of seeing 12-15 carries for Thomas Jones this weekend and 3 for Shonn Greene, we will see something like 10-11 carries for Jones and 6-7 carries for Greene.

Jets Defensive Game Plan: The Bills have plenty of talent at the skill positions. Terrell Owens and Lee Evans are top flight receivers who can score on any given play. Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson are quality backs who have hurt the Jets in the past. Buffalo’s struggles have been based on their terrible offensive line play and the inconsistency of Trent Edwards. There is no excuse for the Jets not to get to the quarterback in this game. It isn’t all on Ryan to come up with blitz schemes, sometimes a player simply needs to beat his man and make a play. Four sacks is nowhere near enough for a defense with this type of talent through five games.

Lito Sheppard will be returning to the starting line-up at corner, which should help against Owens and Evans. Darrelle Revis is coming off a tough night against Miami and will certainly be looking to re-assert himself as one the league’s premier corners against two very good receivers. Like I have been saying all week, I still believe the Jets have a great defense. Four games of excellence is better proof than one game of incompetence. Buffalo only scored 3 points on a defense that features Eric Barton, Abram Elam, Hank Poteat, Kenyon Coleman, Jason Trusnik, CJ Mosley, and David Bowens last week. If the Jets minor league team can stop them last week, the real Jets better be able to stop them this week.

Five Requests For Five Jets

Leon Washington – You don’t have bigger fan or supporter of you receiving a new contract out there than me, but I need a big play. You don’t have an offensive play longer than 19 yards this season or a touchdown, and haven’t ripped off a big kick return since week two. I am not saying you haven’t played well (4.1 yards per carry and 225 yards is respectable) but i need a big play.

Kerry Rhodes – You are one of the highest paid safeties in the league and one of the primary faces of this team. I need a sack or an interception or a forced fumble…just one of those three. Being third on the team in tackles and having 3 passes defensed is alright but below your pay grade. Start to be the playmaker you were in 2006-2007.

Braylon Edwards – Stay hungry and recognize what a golden opportunity you have in front of you. You went from irrelevancy in Cleveland, while trying to catch Derek Anderson ducks to playing in the world’s biggest media market and catching passes from Mark Sanchez. Keep playing to your potential and I can already see you and Sanchez on the cover of Sports Illustrated in their playoff preview edition.

Jerricho Cotchery – Sit out this week and get 100 percent healthy, it will do you and the team good in the long run.

1. In this week’s Sports Illustrated Tim Layden has a great feature on Rex Ryan and his rise to becoming a NFL head coach. I am hoping for the chance to interview Layden for the site, so keep a look out for that in the upcoming weeks.

2. Another day passed and even more rumors are circulating about the Jets not being interested in Plaxico Burress anymore. Most of the local media seems against the move, although as I said yesterday the veterans on the team seem to be in favor of it.

3. A late congratulations to the Los Angeles Lakers for winning the NBA Finals…I still wish we could have saw Kobe/LeBron, especially after all those hilarious puppet commercials but oh well. Hopefully, LeBron will now be finding his way to my Knicks in 2010, along with Chris Bosh.

4. According to ESPN’s statistic guru KC Joyner, the Jets have one of the best offensive lines in the NFL and a better unit than the team they share a stadium with, the New York Giants. I don’t know about Joyner’s stat system but I do know the Jets have a damn good offensive line and who cares if they are better than the Giants O’line?

Scouting the AFC East: Buffalo Bills

Along with the positional analysis articles, I am going to take a look at each of the AFC East teams in the next week and how the Jets stack up against them, starting today with the Buffalo Bills.

2008 Record: 7-9

2008 vs Jets: The Jets swept the Bills last year, beating them in Buffalo 26-17 and then winning in the Meadowlands on Shaun Ellis’ miracle fumble recovery, 31-27. Kris Jenkins absolutely dominated in the first game and Darrelle Revis shut down Lee Evans in both games last season (4 receptions 41 yards in week 9, and 4 receptions 22 yards in week 15). Trent Edwards threw two interceptions in the week 9 loss and was injured when the teams met in week 15. Marshawn Lynch gashed the Jets in week 15 for 127 yards. On the Jets side, Thomas Jones ran for 69 yards in week 9 and 78 yards in week 15. Leon Washington had 1 carry for 47 yards and a touchdown in week 15…cough, cough, get him the ball more. Jerricho Cotchery had 62 yards receiving in week 9 and had a touchdown in week 15.

2009 Additions: The biggest one was Terrell Owens, who will pair with Lee Evans to form one of the best receiving duos in the NFL. They also added running back Dominic Rhodes and lineman Seth McKinney. They had two first round selections, picking defensive end Aaron Maybin and center Eric Wood.

2009 Losses: They traded away pro-bowl lineman Jason Peters and released tight end Robert Royal. Marshawn Lynch is also suspended the first three games of the 2009 season.

Why the Jets Should be Worried: The Bills have a deep, talented receiving core. I already mentioned Owens and Evans but they also have Roscoe Parrish, Josh Reed and James Hardy…all quality players. If Trent Edwards can stay healthy, he will have plenty of weapons at his disposal. When Edwards has been on the field, he has been a pretty good player. Buffalo also has three very capable running backs in Marshawn Lynch, Fred Jackson and Dominic Rhodes. On defense, they have a good front four led by Aaron Schobel and Marcus Stroud and playmakers in the secondary with Terrence McGree, Leodis McKelvin and Donte Whitner.

Why the Jets can handle Buffalo: The Bills have a suspect offensive line and showed no ability to block Kris Jenkins or the rest of the Jets pass rushers last year, as they totaled 8 sacks in 2 games. Darrelle Revis has Lee Evans’ number and has played well against TO in the past, also Lito Sheppard has had success against Owens in previous match-ups. The Jets were able to run the ball relatively well against the Bills last year, especially in short yardage situations. They should be confident after sweeping them last year and going on the road and beating them.

Prediction: The Bills have a ton of talent at the skill positions but some questions at offensive line, linebacker and most importantly head coach. I don’t think TO is good enough at this stage of his career to individually bump the Bills past the 7-9 level they have been the past 3 years and have no faith in Dick Jauron leading them to playoffs. I think Buffalo is a 8-8 to 9-7 team at best this year. In terms of the Jets. you can never expect a sweep of a AFC East opponent but I am confident the Jets will definitely take at least 1 from the Bills.